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On a recent trip to Ikea the mister spotted this colorful denim (these are mos def his colors) and asked for some clamdiggers. I said no on the clamdiggers because with this fabric I thought it would look like something my grandma would wear. I did agree on shorts though obviously, and here they are.

These were made with Simplicity 1948. It’s one of the Suede Says (ughhhhh) patterns. Can we talk for a second about how fug most of the Suede designs are, especially the ones with a more “rocker” edge to them? Gross! These are no exception, The basic pattern is a jean, or you can add a bunch of unnecessary pockets and zippers if you feel like it.

I’d never made pants for Chris before and unfortunately these came out too big. I made these while he was out on a long motorcycle ride so I didn’t have him available to try them on while I was working. I wish they were sized by waist measurements like men’s pants are. The finished garment measurements on the envelope are for the hip measurement, which isn’t very helpful. Oh well, he’s wearing a belt in these photos.

I’m going to cut down center back and take the excess out from there. I did 4 lines of topstitching on the waistband so I have no intention of unpicking all of that. Scissors it shall be. Sizing was the only issue I had with the pattern.

All of the pieces fit together well. I gave these an 11 inch inseam which I based off of other shorts he owns. I took the time to cut the pockets and back yoke with the stripes matching, but switched them at the last second. I decided visually I liked being able to differentiate all of the design elements instead of having them fade together. The pattern instructions were quite good. I was even able to follow their instructions and diagrams for inserting the fly front zipper. Easy peasy mac and cheesy.

All seams are finished by my serger and then topstitched down. The insides are very neat and tidy if I do say so myself.

I also recently finished sewing up some curtains for my sister. Although I did make her do all of the measuring and pressing (i.e. the boring parts). I think I’m do for another few month of selfish sewing 🙂

This is my baby sister and I luff her <3. Her birthday is coming up and we decided that I would sew her a pair of shorts for her prezzie. You can see me wearing the muslin here.

We had a sister date a few weeks back where we went fabric shopping at the Pendleton outlet in Washougal, swam in the Columbia River, and got tattoos. I was thinking we would get some wool while at the Pendleton store and make a winter short, but this mint green snake print cotton twill caught her eye.

I kept trying to talk her out of it (I thought it was supah tacky), but then a voice in my head said, “Idiot! These are for her, not you!” I’m glad I shut up because these shorts are perfect for her. They suit her style perfectly and fit her nicely. I also like them too (O_o) and lucky for me we’re the same size.

I goofed by putting the zipper of the mock-fly on the wrong side so they zip up like men’s shorts. One thing I’ve noticed with this pattern is that as drafted the waistband is a little short. I recommend is adding a centimeter or so. I ended up having to ease the shorts to fit on to the waistband.

I interfaced the waistband with horse-hair canvass to keep it from rumpleing and changed up the installation from the pattern directions so I wouldn’t have to slip-stitch by hand. I took photos so I’ll post a mini tutorial this week.

How annoying is that title? Hahaha. These shorts are actually a wearable muslin. My little sister’s birthday is coming up and she wants a pair of shorts for her present.

We went to the Pendleton Mill Outlet with the intention of getting some wool to make a winter short. But, that’s not what caught her eye. We picked up a super fun, snakeskin print twill.

She wants a menswear inspired short (honestly, Thurlow would be perfect). I have McCall’s 5391 in the stash and gave it a try. This pattern isn’t quite what she wants. On her version I’m going to add patch pockets to the rear (I think), and she definitely wants a cuff.

These are a straight make of view A, with the buttoned belt loops from F. Her measurements are just about the same as mine so I cut these in a size 12. I haven’t be en able to fit them on her yet, but I like them on me.

I inherited a small fabric stash, as well as my sewing machine, when my friend Leslie moved across country. I have tons of this home decor cotton toile fabric (about 4 yards) in the above mentioned stash. It is the perfect weight for a pair of pants, so I made these as carefully as I would on the final version. I really like how they came out. They’re super preppy :).

I made no fitting changes and these were a fairly fast make. I spent about 4 hours total on them. The only difficulty I had was on the zipper.

The pattern calls this a “mock fly”. I’ve never made a fly before, so I’m not sure what the difference is. The instructions were very confusing, and the illustrations weren’t very helpful either. I had to read them aloud a few times, and I’m not sure if I got it right. The zipper looks good enough, so I’m not too concerned. I’ll consult a book when I make my sister’s, so I can make her a proper fly.

The only other “issue” is that, as drafted, view A is hella short. When I make these again for myself, I think I’ll add 2 inches. Even my husband said they were short! You know men, nothing can be too tight or short for them. My sis is almost 4 inches shorter than me, so they should be perfect on her.

All in all, I think this pattern is a winner. It feels like wearing a RTW short. I’m working on getting used to things at my natural waist, but I never wore them before I started sewing. This has a comfortable low to midrise.